Sunday, March 8, 2015

GAZA, (PIC)-- A Palestinian fisherman, Tawfiq Abu Riyalah, has
died Saturday noon due to injuries he sustained since the early morning
hours at the hands of Israeli navy forces that opened fire at
Palestinian fishing boats in Gaza sea.

The spokesman of the Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qudrah told the PIC
reporter that the Palestinian fisherman Abu Riyalah, 32, died in Shifa
Medical Complex in Gaza affected by wounds in the abdomen suffered in
the Israeli navy attack on Gazan fishermen at dawn Saturday.

Qudrah said a number of the wounded arrived at the hospital with cases ranging between minor and moderate.

At dawn Saturday, the Israeli navy boats fired machineguns at
Palestinian fishing boats. The Israeli attack resulted in the death of
Abu Riyalah and the injury and arrest of others whereas one boat was
confiscated.

The Gazan fishing boats are almost daily subjected to harassment by the
Israeli navy boats deployed off the Gaza coast. As a result, many
casualties are suffered in addition to the confiscation of boats and
fishing tools.

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Fisherman Killed By Israeli Fire In Gaza Waters

Palestinian medical sources have
reported that a fisher who was shot and injured by Israeli navy fire,
earlier Saturday, died of his wounds in the Shifa Medical Center, in
Gaza, a few hours after his injury.

Tawfiq Abu Ryala - Watania News Agency

The
fisher, Tawfiq Abu Ryala, 34, was shot in the abdomen when Israeli
naval ships opened fire on fishing boats in Palestinian territorial
waters, less than six nautical miles off the coast.

The soldiers also forced two fishers, Jihad, 22, and his brother Wahid
Sayyed Kaskin, 23 years of age, to swim towards their ship, and
kidnapped them.

The attack is part of frequent Israeli violations against the fishers,
and their boats, in direct violation of all ceasefire agreements, and
the Oslo accords.

Hundreds of residents marched in the funeral procession and ceremony of
the slain Palestinian while chanting slogans against the Israeli
occupation, its escalating violations and assaults.

On Thursday morning, the navy, shot and wounded two fishermen in
Palestinian waters near the Sudaniyya area, northwest of Gaza City, and
kidnapped four others.

Two more attacks were reported on Tuesday and Monday of this week. All
took place while the boats were in Palestinian territorial waters,
within the six allotted nautical miles.

----------------

Gaza fisherman dies after Israeli forces fire on boats

Published yesterday (updated) 08/03/2015 16:09

Palestinian fisherman off the coast of Gaza in 2005 (MaanImages)

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) –
Israeli naval forces shot and killed a Palestinian fisherman, and
arrested two others while they were sailing in small fishing boats off
the coast south of Gaza City early Saturday morning.

Speaker of
the union of Gaza fishermen Nizar Ayyash told Ma'an that Israeli
gunboats opened machine gun fire at a group of Palestinian fishermen.
Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra confirmed to Ma'an that Tawfiq
Abu Riyala died from injuries sustained by the fire.

Ayyash added that Israeli navy then seized two fishing boats and took them to unknown destination.

An
Israeli army spokeswoman told Ma'an that after four vessels deviated
from the fishing zone this morning, Israeli forces ordered the vessels
to halt. Warning shots were fired towards the engines of the vessels,
and two hits were confirmed. Two of the vessels were detained by Israeli
forces, the other two turning back.

The spokeswoman added that
every deviation by fishing boats from the fishing zone is perceived by
Israeli forces as a security threat, citing an incident last month in
which a vessel was caught outside of the fishing zone with arms intended
for Hamas.

The Aug. 26 ceasefire agreement between Israel and
Palestinian militant groups stipulated that Israel would immediately
expand the fishing zone off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as
far as six nautical miles from shore, and would continue to expand the
area gradually.

Since then, there have been widespread reports
that Israeli forces have routinely opened fire at fishermen within those
new limits, and the zone has not been expanded.

Recent targeting of Gazan fishermen comes at a time
when economic growth in the coastal enclave is near frozen and 80
percent of the population is food insecure, according to the Food and
Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Two
Palestinian fishermen were shot and injured as Israeli naval gunboats
opened fire at a group of fishing boats off the Mediterranean coast west
of the al-Sudaniyya neighborhood in the northern Gaza Strip.

Speaker
of the union of Gaza fishermen, Nizar Ayyash, identified the victims as
Eid Muhsin Bakr and Ziad Fahd Bakr, confirming that one of them is in a
serious condition. The two have been evacuated to Shifa Hospital in
Gaza City.

Ayyash added that Israel's navy arrested three other fishermen.

The
Aug. 26 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Palestinian militant
groups stipulated that Israel would immediately expand the fishing zone
off Gaza's coast, allowing fishermen to sail as far as six nautical
miles from shore, and would continue to expand the area gradually.

Since
then, there have been widespread reports that Israeli forces have
opened fire at fishermen within those new limits, and the zone has not
yet been expanded. This morning's incident was the fourth of its kind
this week alone.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said a fishing boat
deviated from the designated area and Israeli forces fired warning shots
in the air.

"When the boat failed to comply, forces use riot
dispersal means, with reports of one Palestinian injured in the foot,"
she added.